My workday ended at 5:15 and I drove back to my apartment building. I knew that I had time to get a run in and then get a brief dinner. I was able to run nine miles and then decided the best way to work on smashing the state was going to a fast food company, Wendy's which was right next door to my building.
(A brief back story. I went to a show in Carrboro in 2001. It was at the Local 506, and it was a pretty hardcore scene. It was a bunch of hardcore bands from the area and a Dutch hardcore band called Anti-dote. It was pretty intense. I went with this guy who lived across the street from me in Charlotte and also was at NC State. We ended up going to some KFC right across the street from the Local 506. It wasn't that good. My friend ended up having severe stomach issues at the show. I'm only relaying this because this is how is my stomach was feeling at the concert. And if you know the bathroom situation at a club you know that it's crappy. Sorry couldn't resist.)
The doors opened at 7:30 and I figured that first band would start at 8. I left my apartment at 7:35, hopped on the metro and was soon walking on U Street to the venue. I got to place around 7:50 and encountered the first of a series of events where I knew that I was an old man. You get X's if you are underage. The five guys in front of me all got them. Then it was my turn and I got a red stamp. Yep I am over 21 and I'm old. I walked up the stairs to the hall and was pretty nervous. It was a nice size place and I walked around. I was nervous before a show for some unknown reason and decided to have a beer. I drank a Yuengling and stood and did some people watching.
The first band came on at 8. They were called Luther. Maybe I haven't been to a lot of shows, but I want my punk bands to not have guys who look like they should be in a metal band and have guitarist that don't look like hipsters. I was debating what jokes I could come up with this band. Maybe I would call them something called Luther or Luther the BBC show that stars Stringer Bell > Luther the band. And then out of the corner of my eye I saw the guitarist from the Bouncing Souls, standing watching Luther play. Then I saw the lead singer, then the bass player. In a split second I was like OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG! I didn't know what to do. Here were member of one of my favorite band literally ten feet away from me. I was going over multiple ways to go over there and do something. I saw one guy shake their hands. I wasn't sure what to do. And really what was I going to do? Go up to them and tell them that their music always got me through dark moments. That their songs were reasons why I was able to get myself through dark moments. That whenever I heard the Souls a smile cam across my face. It reminded me of when people would come up to me after races and tell me that I was fast or that I did a good job. It was kinda awkward and a little weird. I usually don't know what to say, except thanks. And that's how I guess they would react if I said all those things to them. So I just stood and watched Luther play.
And let me tell you something. It had to be the Souls standing in the club watching this band play, but I swear Luther got better or I accepted them. It had to be the Souls. And that's what got me to thinking. In punk music there aren't that many bands that are universally accepted. It's hard to find a band where almost everyone likes them, and the Souls are one of those bands. The fact that the Souls were there watching this band, when they didn't have to, when they were in the top five of punk bands right now, they've been the top dogs for so long, and they were out there supporting an opening band. That's why I like the Souls so much. They didn't have to do it, but they did. Luther finished their thirty minute set. I was left to get some water and wait till the Menzingers came on.
In between sets I saw what I had made fun of many years before. The old guy at the punk shows. I never wanted to be that guy. But Christ I was that guy now. I was old. And when the Menzingers came on I got really old. My thinking was here is a band that I have no idea who they are, but they must be pretty popular because a lot of the kids know their songs. I have to say that the Menzingers were not my cup of tea when it comes to punk music. I can't really say why, but I was just not feeling them. They had some good songs, but really I was just hoping that they would stop playing so I could see the Souls. They ended up finishing and the Souls came on right before ten.
When the headlining band starts to set up that's when the crowd swells up. That's when there is a rush to the front, that's when people start to get antsy. I saw the roadies setting up the stage. There were tv's on stage, and I was thinking "come on Bouncing Souls you guys don't need this, this is below you". I was then trying to convince myself that you know what I bet they can make it work. There were chants of Ole breaking out and then the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly music came on. That's when I knew it was going to go down. I was thinking ok with all these tv's it's going to be either really awesome or it's going to be a train wreck. The first song came on, the crowd turned into an angry sea, I made sure to stay out of the pit and was on the side. The first song (which I later found out was on their new album) left me wondering what it was. I didn't sing along and didn't really like the song that much. Then they played their next song...hey hey where have you gone you use to be the one we looked up to...it's funny how one chord can change so many things. How something that you may not have heard in a couple weeks, months, years can all come back. With that I was into the show. I was able to do some really awkward pogoing and was able to sing all the songs that I knew (which were most of them).
It was funny because this was the first show of their tour, and also their new album came out the same day. So I was wondering how they were going to perform. You never how a band is going to come out, but the Souls weren't that bad. They played one song called, Coin Toss Girl, that was from their new album and I said to myself that's a good song. They played it and you could tell that the crowd got into the song as it went along.
I liked how they mixed up the songs, they had some that were at a breakneck pace, playing the fast ones almost back to back to back. No let up. And then they throw the curveball and play a slow more melodic song that really captures who they are as a band. Of course having seen this band about five times, I realized that with a couple songs when they played them in the main set that I was like, oh I remember when they were the encore songs, now they are just regular songs. I guess they have their new stuff that they play now. It brings me back to the first album that I bought from them in summer of 99, Hopeless Romantic. It's a great album. It's at their peak. It was a great time in the genre. And throughout the years, many bands have tried to do things that make you question if they are straying from their sound (I'm looking at you Dropkick Murphys) or bands just become a total caricature of the music (Rancid) that it makes it hard to like bands that you grew up listening to. That's what makes it sucks sometimes when I listen to old records and it takes me back to those times when I would first listen to those albums, and then I know and hear what that band is doing now and it depresses me.
That why I'll always like the Souls. Greg, the lead singer, is someone who is more awkward and stiff than I am, and yet he pulls it off. His goofy movements on stage are at best can be described as muted but then he bust out that smile and you know he's having a good time. And that's what the Souls bring. You know you're going to have agood great time. That's what I knew I was getting when I saw them. They got me through some tough times, and I knew that this band was going to deliver because that's what they do. Listening to records and watching DVD's you feel some sort of connection to a band, and you hope that they continue to exist the way you imagine them in your mind. And when that's no longer the case it can be detrimental. That's why I can't believe as I get older I still care that much about something that's been apart of my life for so long, but I do and I will continue to do so, because honestly I don't know any other way.
(A side note: When I went to the show I was rocking my Against Me! shirt. In total support of Laura Jane Grace. I hate to say that this makes me like the band more, but yeah it's the sort of thing that gives the band a lifetime pass from me.)
Set list (from what I can remember and not in order):
Neurotic
Here we go
Cracked
Say Anything
K8 is Great
East Coast F U
Hopeless Romantic
That Song
Private Radio
True Believers
Lifetime
Late Bloomers
Gone
Apartment 5F
Kids and Heroes
Sing Along Forever
Highway Kings
Lean on Sheena
Midnight Mile
Baptized
Fast Times
Coin Toss Girl
Comet
Ship in a Bottle
And let me tell you something. It had to be the Souls standing in the club watching this band play, but I swear Luther got better or I accepted them. It had to be the Souls. And that's what got me to thinking. In punk music there aren't that many bands that are universally accepted. It's hard to find a band where almost everyone likes them, and the Souls are one of those bands. The fact that the Souls were there watching this band, when they didn't have to, when they were in the top five of punk bands right now, they've been the top dogs for so long, and they were out there supporting an opening band. That's why I like the Souls so much. They didn't have to do it, but they did. Luther finished their thirty minute set. I was left to get some water and wait till the Menzingers came on.
In between sets I saw what I had made fun of many years before. The old guy at the punk shows. I never wanted to be that guy. But Christ I was that guy now. I was old. And when the Menzingers came on I got really old. My thinking was here is a band that I have no idea who they are, but they must be pretty popular because a lot of the kids know their songs. I have to say that the Menzingers were not my cup of tea when it comes to punk music. I can't really say why, but I was just not feeling them. They had some good songs, but really I was just hoping that they would stop playing so I could see the Souls. They ended up finishing and the Souls came on right before ten.
When the headlining band starts to set up that's when the crowd swells up. That's when there is a rush to the front, that's when people start to get antsy. I saw the roadies setting up the stage. There were tv's on stage, and I was thinking "come on Bouncing Souls you guys don't need this, this is below you". I was then trying to convince myself that you know what I bet they can make it work. There were chants of Ole breaking out and then the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly music came on. That's when I knew it was going to go down. I was thinking ok with all these tv's it's going to be either really awesome or it's going to be a train wreck. The first song came on, the crowd turned into an angry sea, I made sure to stay out of the pit and was on the side. The first song (which I later found out was on their new album) left me wondering what it was. I didn't sing along and didn't really like the song that much. Then they played their next song...hey hey where have you gone you use to be the one we looked up to...it's funny how one chord can change so many things. How something that you may not have heard in a couple weeks, months, years can all come back. With that I was into the show. I was able to do some really awkward pogoing and was able to sing all the songs that I knew (which were most of them).
It was funny because this was the first show of their tour, and also their new album came out the same day. So I was wondering how they were going to perform. You never how a band is going to come out, but the Souls weren't that bad. They played one song called, Coin Toss Girl, that was from their new album and I said to myself that's a good song. They played it and you could tell that the crowd got into the song as it went along.
I liked how they mixed up the songs, they had some that were at a breakneck pace, playing the fast ones almost back to back to back. No let up. And then they throw the curveball and play a slow more melodic song that really captures who they are as a band. Of course having seen this band about five times, I realized that with a couple songs when they played them in the main set that I was like, oh I remember when they were the encore songs, now they are just regular songs. I guess they have their new stuff that they play now. It brings me back to the first album that I bought from them in summer of 99, Hopeless Romantic. It's a great album. It's at their peak. It was a great time in the genre. And throughout the years, many bands have tried to do things that make you question if they are straying from their sound (I'm looking at you Dropkick Murphys) or bands just become a total caricature of the music (Rancid) that it makes it hard to like bands that you grew up listening to. That's what makes it sucks sometimes when I listen to old records and it takes me back to those times when I would first listen to those albums, and then I know and hear what that band is doing now and it depresses me.
That why I'll always like the Souls. Greg, the lead singer, is someone who is more awkward and stiff than I am, and yet he pulls it off. His goofy movements on stage are at best can be described as muted but then he bust out that smile and you know he's having a good time. And that's what the Souls bring. You know you're going to have a
(A side note: When I went to the show I was rocking my Against Me! shirt. In total support of Laura Jane Grace. I hate to say that this makes me like the band more, but yeah it's the sort of thing that gives the band a lifetime pass from me.)
Set list (from what I can remember and not in order):
Neurotic
Here we go
Cracked
Say Anything
K8 is Great
East Coast F U
Hopeless Romantic
That Song
Private Radio
True Believers
Lifetime
Late Bloomers
Gone
Apartment 5F
Kids and Heroes
Sing Along Forever
Highway Kings
Lean on Sheena
Midnight Mile
Baptized
Fast Times
Coin Toss Girl
Comet
Ship in a Bottle
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